The Burren reel

This tune also is named after a musician, I think it’s Charlie Harris - but don’t hold me to that. This is one of those tunes that goes back a long way for me, but I only bothered to figure it out recently. It sits well on both fiddle & the flute. It’s a real nice tune that should get more play because it’s not overly tough.

I learned this tune many years ago from some Swedish friends who gave me "The Burren" as the title. Later, at sessions I was always told that "The Burren" was "another tune", that this tune was "Charlie Harris’ Reel". Vindication at last!

it’s the best tune ive picked up in months. very nice when played k

T:Burren, The
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Brendan Bulger: Brendan Bulger
R:reel
Z:Devin McCab
K:D
ABdB AF F/2F/2F|AFAd ~f3g|afef d~B3|dBAF EDFG|
ABdB AF F/2F/2F|AFAd ~f3g|afef d~B3|1Adfe d3B:|2Adfe dcde|
:f2ed BAFA|defg a2fa|g2fg edBA|dBAF EDFG|
ABdB AF F/2F/2F|AFAd ~f3g|afef d~B3|1Adfe dcde:|2Adfe d3B||

T:Burren, The
M:4/4
L:1/8
S:Cherish The Ladies : "Irish Women Musicians in America"
R:reel
Z:gian marco p.
Z:gm
K:D
|: B | ~A2AB AF~F2 | AFAd ~f3a | afef dB~B2 | dBAF EFDF |
~A2AB AF~F2 | AFAd ~f3a | afef dedB | Adfe d3 :|
|:e | f2ed BA~A2 | dcdf ~a3f | ~g2fg e~B3 | dBAF EFDE |
~A2AB AF~F2 | AFAd ~f3a |afef dedB | Adfe d3 :|

Re alternative title ‘Michael Cramer’s’, does anyone know who Michael Cramer is/was?

Both this and the ST setting get played at our session. Below is a transcription from a session recording, so it’s a "version of ST’s version". I don’t know much about flutes but I assume it’s achieved simply by overblowing:

|:~a3b af~f2|afAd ~f3g|af~f2 dB~B2|BAAF EFDf|
a2ab af~f2|afAd ~f3g|af~f2 dB~B2|Adfe d4:|
|:~f3d BAFb|af~f2 ~a3b|gBfB edBc|dBAF EFD2|
a3b af~f2|afAd ~f3g|af~f2 dB~B2|Adfe d4:|

Bars 3 and 4 of the 1st part are also overblown as a variation:

|:~a3b af~f2|afAd ~f3g|af~f2 db~b2|baaf efdf|
a2ab af~f2|afAd ~f3g|af~f2 dB~B2|Adfe d4:|

Matt Cunningham plays this tune on the fiddle on Vol 5 of his CD series "Dance Music of Ireland", in which he calls it "Creamer’s", thus:

DF | A3B AF (3FFF | AFAd fefa | afef db (3BBB | dBAF EFDF |
A3B AF (3FFF | AFAd fefa | afef db (3BBB | Agfe d2 :|
|: de | fded BAFA | dcde abaf | gefd edBA | dBAF EFDF |
A3B AF (3FFF | AFAd fefa | afef db (3BBB | Agfe d2 :||

He follows it with “Touch Me If You Dare”.

Also known as Creamer’s, Creamer’s, Charlie Harris’s…
Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on September 20th 2004 by Dow.
https://thesession.org/tunes/3568

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on February 10th 2008 by gian marco.
~ /tunes/8249

X: 6
T: Michael Creamer’s
T: The Burren
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|: dB |\
A3 B AFDF | AFAd ~f3 g | afef dB ~B2 | dBAF FEDF |
A3 B AFDF | AFAd ~f3 g | afef dB ~B2 | Adfe d2 :|
|: de |\
fded BAFA | dcdf ~a3 f | gefd edBc | dBAF FEDF |
A3 B AFDF | AFAd ~f3 g | afef dB ~B2 | Adfe d2 :|

(alternate possible endings ~ | Adfe de | / | A2 fe d2 | / | Agfe d2 |)

Source: "Leitrim’s Hidden Treasure" by the McNamara Family
Transcription: gian marco pietrasanta

# Posted on February 10th 2008 by gian marco

on the cd this track is listed as:

Reels - (Band Selection)
the track has three reels:
Maid Behind the Bar
The Burren
Touch Me if you Dare


X:1
T:The Burren
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:reel
K:Dmaj
DF|:AFAB AFED|AFAd f2fa|gefd edBA|dBAF EFDF|
|AFAB AFED|AFAd f2fa|gefd edBA|1agfe d2 DF:|2agfe dAde||
|:fded BdAG|FDFA dfaf|gefd edBA|dBAF EFDF|
|AFAB AFED|AFAd f2fa|gefd edBA|1agfe dAde:|2agfe d2|]

C.H. apparently got the tune from Joe McKenna.

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on October 29th 2008 by bayswater.
~ /tunes/9042

X: 8
T: Fluters, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Dmaj
|: B |\
ABdB AF ~F2 | AFAB ~f3 a | afef dB ~B2 | dBAF E2 ED |
ABdB AF ~F2 | AFAB ~f3 a | afef dB ~B2 | A2 fe ~d3 :|

|: e |\
f2 ed BAFB | ABdf a2 fa | g2 fg edBc | dBAF E2 ED |
ABdB AF ~F2 | AFAB ~f3 a | afef dB ~B2 | A2 fe ~d3 :|

(rolls ‘~’ have been added and the notation, as an example, changed from A F3 to AF ~F2… Also, the lead-ins have been added, for example, from A2 fe d3 e to |: e |\ ~ ‘c’)

This tune…is found on Mark Robert’s album "The Gloup".

# Posted on October 29th 2008 by bayswater

This is a different setting, but clearly the same tune as Michael Creamer’s (aka Charlie Harris’), already posted here.

# Posted on October 30th 2008 by Will CPT

This reel is called "Ril Josie McDermott" on Donncha O Briain’s Gael Linn album. Any way to fix the entry on the session.org for that album to point to this tune?

Yep. Go to the details page for this tune and click on the link that asks "Do you know this tune by another name?" and add "Ril Josie McDermott" to the list of alternate names. The recording will automatically link, as long as you spell it exactly the same as in the recording track listing.

The tune appearing as ‘The Burren’ in Bulmer and Sharpley’s "Music from Ireland" (book 4, #34) in the key of G is an entirely different tune, related to the tune ‘Star of Kilkenny’ in O’Neill’s and older sources. See
https://thesession.org/tunes/2663

I once was told it’s a Vincent Broderick tune, but I wouldn’t be sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC3CL7uNxLg

play video

https://youtu.be/1_BLcC4Mr1E

play video

Taken from ‘A Fine Selection of Over 200 Irish Traditional Tunes for Sessions’, compiled by David Speers with a Forward by Matt Cranitch. This setting has a couple of differences so I’ve added it. It’s a great session tune that, as has already been said, we should hear more of!

Chris Droney wrote a pair of tunes called The Burren Reels. I’ll try and post them soon